Top Five Things to do in Havana, Cuba
Cuba is unique, different from any other Caribbean Island we have ever
visited. Generally most people
go to the Caribbean to sit on the beach and soak up the sun, however, I would highly
recommend immersing yourself in the Cuban culture of Havana instead if you
visit. There is so much to experience
and you would really be missing out if all you saw was sand and water. Here is a list of our top 5 things to do in
Havana, Cuba.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
1. Walk along the streets of Old Havana
Old Havana has a welcoming charm about it. Live music
playing along the street, people drinking, eating and dancing, and children
playing games... there is so much going on! I have to say, our boys (ages 3yr and 1yr) LOVED just watching everyone as we weaved our way along the
streets of Old Havana. Added bonus: because there were very few cars
driving along Old Havana, we felt very comfortable letting the boys out of the
stroller to walk.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
2. Visit Vedado (Fidel Hilton Hotel and Hotel National)
Our visit to Vedado was actually one of my favorite things we
did. It's funny because Matt and I totally miscommunicated and he
thought I was ready to head back to Old Havana so we didn't stay very long, but
I totally could have spent all day. I found it so interesting because it
really felt like what "modern" 1950 Havana must have looked like. The style of buildings, fences, cars, all
stuck in time.
Two places we visited was the Fidel Hilton Hotel and Hotel National. Fidel Hilton Hotel was the hotel that Fidel set up his headquarters during the revolution. In the lobby, they had a little exhibit with old pictures from the revolution. It was all so interesting to me. I love learning about history from the past 50 years. We also visited the famous Hotel National! It was sooo beautiful and we really enjoyed just sitting in their open air lobby eating a Cuban sandwich while the boys played with little pebbles on the ground… and checking out their peacock sleeping!
Two places we visited was the Fidel Hilton Hotel and Hotel National. Fidel Hilton Hotel was the hotel that Fidel set up his headquarters during the revolution. In the lobby, they had a little exhibit with old pictures from the revolution. It was all so interesting to me. I love learning about history from the past 50 years. We also visited the famous Hotel National! It was sooo beautiful and we really enjoyed just sitting in their open air lobby eating a Cuban sandwich while the boys played with little pebbles on the ground… and checking out their peacock sleeping!
3. Take a classic car to the beach for the afternoon
This was definitely top on our list! Our boys are obsessed with their little
matchbox cars so we thought they would LOVE to ride in an old car! We spent about $30 to get from Old Havana to
the beach. The ride was sooo different
from what I expected! First, it was sooo
hot in the car. He told me to roll down
the window and gave me a wrench but of course I couldn’t figure out how to
unroll it! LOL! Once the window was down
it was so much more comfortable! It took
about 20 minutes to get to the beach, which was a perfect amount of time to be
in the car! J Our driver offered to stay and wait for
us a few hours while we sat at the beach, however we didn’t feel like spending
another $30 to get back, so we decided to just take the bus instead, which was
a much cheaper option. We also road in an old red convertible in the city and that was SO fun!.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
4. Sit along the street and watch live music
Havana is known for its artistic musical atmosphere and it really
is so lively! The boys definitely loved
hearing all the music and people would literally get up and start dancing
everywhere! We loved stopping to watch the salsa dancing and hear such talented
musicians! Our hotel, Hotel Sevilla
always had live musicians down in our lobby and every one was amazing! Multiple times I got goose bumps listening to
some of the singers perform.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN HAVANA, CUBA
5. Walk at sunset along Malecon
Our Airbnb was right next to Malecon so it was super convenient
for us to walk along at sunset! Malecon is the street along the water's edge and it is just gorgeous! It is also a WiFi zone so we saw everyone
sitting along the side of the water barrier with their heads down on their phones! It was almost comical. No one was paying attention to anything else!
LOL! Of course I had to check my WiFi as
well, but found that it was difficult to stay connected, so I gave up pretty
easily. The fantastic view definitely was better than anything, I was missing on my phone. :-)
Havana is a vibrant city with charming, welcoming people. I 'm so glad that we had the opportunity to experience such a rich culture.
Great blog! We're headed there in 4 weeks and can't wait to explore! Which beach did you guys visit? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Victor!! We visited Santa Maria. We hung out right in their public beach and rented chairs and umbrellas. You could also buy food from the restaurant right off the beach as well! It was perfect for us as we only stayed a couple of hours!
DeleteHavama in on my bucket list. Thanks for sharing that!
ReplyDeleteYes! Go!!! I would highly recommend it!
DeleteYOur trip sounds amazing! And your pics are gorgeous
ReplyDeleteThank you Cassie! We had a great time and I would definitely recommend Cuba to anyone, such a beautiful place and rich culture!
DeleteA trip back in time - must be real special :)
ReplyDeleteSo special! It was a dream of mine to go there forever! So glad we made it happen!
DeleteFabulous post, and the photography is gorgeous. I would love to see Havana! My grandparents honeymooned there in the 1930s.
ReplyDeleteOh they did!? That sounds dreammmmmy!!! And before everything happened!!
DeleteI love Havana! Great photos, too!
ReplyDeleteYes! Sooo unique and interesting!
Delete